要素价格扭曲与工业产能过剩的关系——基于1991—2010年的样本数据

从要素市场中的3大投入要素———资本、劳动力和能源入手,测算1991—2010年中国工业产能过剩程度和三要素价格扭曲程度,并通过构建VAR模型、脉冲响应分析和方差分解,考察了各要素价格扭曲程度与产能过剩之间的长期均衡关系和短期冲击影响。实证结果表明:产能过剩与各要素价格扭曲之间存在长期稳定均衡关系和误差修正机制,其中劳动力和能源的价格扭曲对产能过剩具有正向影响,资本价格扭曲具有负向影响;能源价格扭曲对产能过剩偏离均衡的调整力度最大;资本和能源的价格扭曲对产能过剩的短期冲击影响较大,而劳动力更多作用于远期;劳动力价格扭曲对产能过剩变化的解释力度最大,资本价格扭曲的解释力度相对最小。     

Consumption externalities,production externalities,and long-run macroeconomic efficiency

We analyze the effects of consumption and production externalities on capital accumulation. We show that the importance of consumption externalities depends upon the elasticity of labor supply. If the labor supply is inelastic, consumption externalities cause no long-run distortions. Whether there are distortions along the transitional path depends upon consumer preferences. The effects of production externalities are more pervasive; they exert long-run distortionary effects irrespective of labor supply. The optimal taxation to correct for the distortions created by the externalities is characterized. We analyze both stationary and endogenously growing economies, and while there are many parallels in how externalities impact, there are also important differences.     

Optimal human capital policies under the endogenous choice of educational types

This study examines optimal human capital policies under nonlinear labor and capital income taxes in the presence of consumption value of education in a two‐period setting. We show that when individuals can choose educational types differing by the relative importance of consumption value and production value, education subsidies for low‐type individuals should not equal an efficient level that offsets distortions induced by nonlinear taxes on labor and capital income. Our findings imply that education policy does not restore efficiency, or the Diamond–Mirrlees production efficiency theorem fails. Moreover, capital income taxation is optimal, which means that the Atkinson–Stiglitz theorem breaks down.     

Utility and production externalities, equilibrium efficiency and leisure specification

This paper analyzes the implications that the specification of the leisure activity has on the equilibrium efficiency in a two-sector endogenous growth model with human capital accumulation. We consider external effects of consumption and leisure in utility, and sector-specific externalities associated to physical and human capital in production. The optimal tax policy to correct for the distortions caused by the externalities is characterized under all the typical leisure specifications considered in the literature: home production, quality time and raw time. We show that the optimal policy depends markedly on the leisure specification.     

要素扭曲、技术研发与效率损失

运用2008-2016年中国29个地区面板数据，测度资本要素市场和劳动力要素市场扭曲程度，采用基于超越对数生产函数的随机前沿模型，分析要素市场扭曲对我国高技术产业技术研发效率的影响。结果表明：考察期内，我国资本要素市场和劳动力要素市场均呈现显著的反向扭曲，且资本要素市场扭曲程度更高；从全国层面看，两种要素市场扭曲在全国层面均对高技术产业技术研发效率产生抑制作用；分地区看，资本要素市场扭曲对东部地区存在负向影响，对中西部地区影响不显著，而劳动力要素市场扭曲对东中西部地区均有负向影响，且影响程度由东向西递增。反事实计量结果表明，资本要素市场扭曲是造成高技术产业技术研发效率损失的重要原因。     

国际资本流动、经济扭曲与宏观稳定--当前经济增长态势分析

本文针对当前中国所面临的资本流动新格局(即大量非FDI流入) ,分析了国际资本流动引起宏观不稳定的机制,以及通过对冲与资本管制方式应对资本流动冲击的局限。论文的核心是引入经济扭曲概念,建立了带扭曲因素的资本流动与宏观稳定模型,强调扭曲的存在会使波动加剧。因此,为应对资本流动新格局,政策当局需要尽快完善非FDI监控体系、矫正各种经济扭曲,并促使宏观调控模式由数量型向价格型转变     

Optimal Factor Taxation under Wage Bargaining: A Dynamic Perspective

Abstract. We consider the issue of steady-state optimal factor taxation in a Ramsey-type dynamic general equilibrium setting with two distinct distortions: (i) taxes on capital and labour are the only available tax instruments for raising revenues and (ii) labour markets are subject to an inefficiency resulting from wage bargaining. If considered in isolation, the two distortions create conflicting demands on the wage tax, while calling for a zero capital tax. By combining the two distortions, we arrive at the conclusion that both instruments should be used, implying that the zero capital tax result in general is no longer valid under imperfectly competitive labour markets.     

多种要素扭曲是否推动了中国企业出口

本文使用1999-2007年工业企业数据样本分析了包括资本、劳动及中间品在内的要素市场相对扭曲程度,并考察其是否能解释中国企业出口的独特成本优势。结论认为：中国制造业企业存在严重要素价格扭曲,不同要素的价格扭曲程度差异化较大。劳动力价格扭曲现象普遍存在,经济发展以牺牲劳动力价格市场化为代价。国有企业比重较大的行业资本价格相对较低,而私营企业比重较大的行业则资金成本较高。能源、原材料相关行业以及外资企业比重较大的行业中间品价格偏低;经过实证检验,要素市场扭曲的确对企业出口倾向起到推动作用,企业将获得的成本优势转化为出口优势,这表明低廉的要素价格是中国产品在国际市场中具有竞争力的重要原因。     

Trade and allocation of resources in a distorted economy

This paper has tried to analyse the effects of a reduction of customs duties on the Norwegian economy. Traditional international trade theory usually studies production and allocation effects of trade in a two commodities, two factors of production world where everything behaves in accordance with the rules of perfect competition. This paper has, by contrast, tried to study international trade problems within a multisector model assuming distortions in the factor market in the sense that capital has been considered immobile between sectors and wages fixed.Given the distortions assumed in this paper, and also assuming full employment, employment and production effects in the different sectors, due to customs duties reductions, have been estimated. Price changes in sectors sheltered from foreign competition have also been studied. These sectors have been assumed to employ those becoming unemployed in the import- competing industries, due to a customs duties reduction.     

The external debt contribution to output,employment, productivity and consumption: A model and an application to Chile

A foreign-capital-dependent investment equation is used to generate capital stock series, towards estimating a non-homogeneous variable elasticity of substitution production function. Debt contributions are derived from here. For Chile between 1960 and 1982, a negative correlation between foreign capital and domestic savings, and a low marginal product of capital, account for minimal debt contributions. However, factor price distortions, capacity under-utilization, preferences for current consumption, short planning horizons combined with huge debt, unrealistically rigid assumptions of previous work and model limitations, all suggest substantial direct consumption costs of default or repudiation, and through them, indirect output and income costs.     

Investment rates and the aggregate production function

In this paper we consider a simple version of the neoclassical growth model, and carry out an empirical analysis of the main determinants of aggregate investment across countries. The neoclassical growth model predicts that aggregate investment may be influenced by income growth, the capital income share, the relative price of capital, taxes, and other market distortions. We check these investment patterns for both OECD and non-OECD countries. We also decompose investment data into equipment and structures, and explore major factors affecting their relative prices. These empirical exercises shed light into the shape of the neoclassical production function.     

Redistribution and education subsidies are Siamese twins

We develop models of optimal linear and non-linear income taxation with endogenous human capital formation to explore optimal education subsidies. Optimal subsidies on education ensure efficiency in human capital accumulation and thus play an important role in alleviating the tax distortions on learning induced by redistributive policies. If the government cannot verify all investments in human capital, education policy offsets some but not all tax-induced distortions on learning. Non-pecuniary educational costs (benefits) may increase (decrease) subsidies on education, especially if they are complementary to work effort.     

1985—2010年间中国制造业要素 配置扭曲变动的解析 ——资本结构变动与技术进步的影响分析

本文对1985—2010年间中国制造业部门的要素配置扭曲系数的变动进行了解析。要素配置扭曲系数的变动一方面是由于不同行业间投资结构失衡所引致，但是另一方面则反映了不同行业间不同类型技术进步差异对要素报酬率变动的影响效应。笔者发现：（1）近十多年来，部分重化工业的资本快速扩张引起行业间投资结构失衡，并加大了行业间的要素配置扭曲程度；（2）相对于1985—2000年间，技术进步因素在2001—2010年间对要素配置扭曲系数的变动的影响效应越来越大。本文建议政府在制定产业政策时，限制一般生产性的资本投资鼓励政策，而更多转向鼓励创新和研发投资的政策，鼓励体现有技术进步因素的资本要素与劳动要素之间的相互替代。     

Dissecting the China Puzzle: Asymmetric Liberalization and Cost Distortion

We attempt to explain the China Puzzle, the coexistence of accelerating economic growth, and a worsening growth outlook. The root cause lies in China's unique liberalization approach, that is, the combination of a complete liberalization of product markets and continued distortions in factor markets. Repressed costs of labor, capital, land, and resources artificially raise the profits of production, increase the returns to investment, and improve the international competitiveness of Chinese products. The asymmetric liberalization approach not only promoted economic growth, but also caused structural risks. It also contributed to global imbalances as well as regional integration. Therefore, future reform policies should focus on the liberalization of the factor markets and the elimination of cost distortions.     

Factor market distortions across time,space and sectors in China

In this paper, we measure TFP losses in China?s non-agricultural economy associated with labour and capital misallocation across provinces and sectors between 1985 and 2007. We also decompose the overall loss into factor market distortions within provinces (between state and non-state sectors) and distortions between provinces (within sectors). Over the entire period, misallocation lowers aggregate non-agricultural TFP by an average of twenty percent. However, after initially declining, these losses increased appreciably beginning in the mid-1990s. This reversal can be attributed almost exclusively to increasing misallocation of capital between state and non-state sectors within provinces, while losses from between province misallocation remained fairly constant. We argue that the recent increase in capital market distortions is related to government policies that encourage investments in the state sector at the expense of investments in the more productive non-state sector.     

Protectionism, Export Requirements, and Joint Ventures

Economic distortions often accompany the attempt by lower-income countries to develop. This paper examines the consequences of two such distortions: an export-share requirement whereby foreign capital producing in a local enclave is allowed to sell only a fraction of its output in the local protected market, and some local capital must be allowed into a joint venture in the enclave, even if it must be paid a higher return there than foreign capital earns in its country of origin. The welfare effect of such measures is investigated as well as the effect on local wages of measures that drive out some foreign investment. Such a loss of foreign capital may serve to raise the wage rate.     

Productivity in a Distorted Market: The Case of Brazil's Retail Sector

In a model of monopolistic competition with heterogeneous firms, distortions in prices drive a wedge between the marginal revenue products of factor inputs across firms. We use census data for Brazil's retail sector to study implications for aggregate productivity and relate distortions to regional variation in regulation using a differences‐in‐differences approach. Taxes, entry regulation, and access to credit may create distortions to output and capital that varies by firm size. Potential gains from reallocation have not diminished despite the process of services liberalization in the 1990s.     

Strategic debt service and investment decisions

Firms alter investing decisions when there is debt in the capital structure. Security design features can exacerbate the situation. This article studies how strategic debt service may affect investment distortions resulting from debt financing in a dynamic framework. When the production decision involves an expansion option, the shareholders’ option to strategically default on the outstanding debt eliminates bankruptcy costs but, in contrast to previous literature where production decisions are fixed, leads to suboptimal investing decisions. This is due to higher wealth transfers from shareholders to debt holders upon exercise of the growth option. Strategic debt service, therefore, may reduce the value of the firm. The setting of an endogenous production set offers a potential explanation for empirical observations of wide credit spreads and low leverage.     

Capital–energy substitution in China: regional differences and dynamic evolution

This article estimates the capital–energy Allen elasticities of substitution in China’s 28 provinces over the period 1995–2011. The central finding is that the capital–energy substitution elasticity in each province exhibits significant heterogeneity. The article empirically analyses the sources of the differences in the capital–energy substitution elasticity. The embodied technical change and market distortions are found to have significant effects on the degree of substitution elasticity. Further factor market reforms, liberalisation and cooperation would improve the elasticity of capital–energy substitution.     

Legal Institutions, Sectoral Heterogeneity, and Economic Development

Poor countries have lower PPP-adjusted investment rates and face higher relative prices of investment goods. It has been suggested that this happens either because these countries have a relatively lower TFP in industries producing capital goods or because they are subject to greater investment distortions. This paper provides a micro-foundation for the cross-country dispersion in investment distortions. We first document that firms producing capital goods face a higher level of idiosyncratic risk than their counterparts producing consumption goods. In a model of capital accumulation where the protection of investors' rights is incomplete, this difference in risk induces a wedge between the returns on investment in the two sectors. The wedge is bigger, the poorer the investor protection. In turn, this implies that countries endowed with weaker institutions face higher relative prices of investment goods, invest a lower fraction of their income, and end up being poorer. We find that our mechanism may be quantitatively important.